If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then a Chinese knockoff brand just gave Baltimore-based athletic apparel giant Under Armour the ultimate compliment. Though it doesn’t appear Under Armour sees it that way.
Uncle Martian, a Chinese sports apparel company launched this week, posted images Friday on social media of the brand’s logo, which shares a striking, nearly carbon-copy resemblance to Under Armour — complete with the red-and-white color scheme. Seen from afar, you probably can’t even tell the difference between the two logos, both of which have a stylized letter U with an inverted U directly underneath.
The company even appeared to embrace the similarities, displaying a photo of the Under Armour logo on its Weibo account.
Not surprisingly, Under Armour is not pleased with the blatant copy-cat attempt and plans on taking legal action.
Advertisement
“Under Armour is aware of the Uncle Martian launch event,” company spokesperson Diane Pelkey said in an emailed statement to The Washington Post. “Uncle Martian’s uses of Under Armour’s famous logo, name, and other intellectual property are a serious concern and blatant infringement. Under Armour will vigorously pursue all business and legal courses of action.”
The parent company of Uncle Martian is Tingfei Long Sporting Goods, a 25-year-old sports shoe manufacturer that is based in southern China’s Fuijan province. According to the Chinese website shoes.net.cn, Tingfei Long’s General Manager Huang Canlong said at a recent ceremony that Uncle Martian, which rolled out the company’s logo and apparel in a launch show this week, will be a “brand made with comfort, excellence and innovation.”
This is certainly not the first example of a Chinese company attempting to rip off another brand, nor will it be the last. China is notorious for building vehicles that look nearly identical to the more expensive original, as shown in a Shanghai motor show last year.
Advertisement
Also, Michael Jordan is involved in a closely watched trademark suit against a Chinese sportswear company, Qiaodan Sports Co. Ltd., that could be resolved in the coming days, according to Bloomberg. The final decision against the company whose name is a Mandarin transliteration of Jordan could set a legal precedent for intellectual property rights in China.
In other words, welcome to the club, Under Armour.
(H/T Mashable)
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLumw9JonJqqnK56rbHAnWawqF9nfXKCjmlraGppZLCptc2eqp5lm6O8pLfOn51mmqKWu6V51KeapZ1doq6zwMiapWakn6S4tHnEsZicrJyueq21yp5krqaUmr9urdGmpq6qXw%3D%3D